"Who Asked My Son Born in 2016 for His Opinion?"
"Ignoring Future Generations' Opinions and Passing the Bomb"
Cheon Ha-ram, the proportional representative-elect of the Reform New Party, strongly criticized the National Pension reform plan on the 23rd, calling it a "deterioration that breaks the spine of future generations."
Cheon said in a post on his Facebook on the same day, "Those born in 2015 will have to pay 35.6% of their salary as National Pension insurance premiums when they turn 46."
He continued, "My son was born in 2016. How is he supposed to make a living when he has to pay more than 35% of his salary as National Pension insurance premiums, plus additional health insurance premiums and income tax?" He questioned, "Has anyone asked my son's opinion? Is it acceptable to ignore the opinions of future generations who do not have voting rights and dump this bomb on them?"
Cheon emphasized, "I am really worried whether my son will be able to receive the National Pension even after paying so much," adding, "The unsustainable National Pension must be fundamentally reformed, and the unsustainable generational selfishness deterioration must stop immediately."
He also argued, "As the Reform New Party has already proposed, it is essential to introduce a fully funded 'new pension' considering intergenerational equity and to fundamentally reform the National Pension by separating the old pension and the new pension."
Earlier, the National Assembly's Special Committee on Pension Reform (Pension Special Committee) Public Deliberation Committee disclosed the results of a preference survey on the National Pension reform plan conducted three times with 500 citizen representatives.
The Public Deliberation Committee divided the pension reform plans into two types for deliberation: the 'Income Guarantee Plan (pay more, receive more),' which raises the contribution rate from 9% to 13% and increases the income replacement rate from 40% to 50%, and the 'Financial Stability Plan,' which raises the contribution rate to 12% while maintaining the current benefit level.
In the final survey conducted after the deliberation, support for the Income Guarantee Plan was 56%, while support for the Financial Stability Plan was 42.6%. The Pension Special Committee aims to create the final pension reform plan based on the survey results and pass the amendment at the plenary session at the end of next month. This is expected to be the last plenary session of the 21st National Assembly.
However, opinions between the ruling and opposition parties on the survey results remain divided. Yoo Kyung-jun, the People Power Party's secretary of the Pension Special Committee, strongly opposed, saying, "If the purpose of pension reform is to prevent fund depletion and transition to a sustainable National Pension, this plan fundamentally contradicts that purpose."
On the other hand, Democratic Party members of the Pension Special Committee, including Kim Sung-joo, the Democratic Party secretary, emphasized, "We have confirmed the people's will that income security to alleviate old-age anxiety should be prioritized."
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